“The unconscious is a shy beast: don’t pounce!”:

John O'Connor; David A. Nicholls; Mark Thorpe; Wiremu Woodard

doi:10.9791/ajpanz.2022.11

John O'Connor
David A. Nicholls Auckland University of Technology
Mark Thorpe Auckland University of Technology
Wiremu Woodard

DOI: https://doi.org/10.9791/ajpanz.2022.11

Keywords: Foucault; psychotherapy; Aotearoa New Zealand; psychoanalysis; Jung; discourse; truth.

Abstract

Psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and Jungian analytical psychology, it could be argued, have as their centrepiece the encounter with the other, both within and without, and the attempt to bring an understanding mind to these others. In this we grapple, encounter, and receive the often-disturbing forces of the unconscious mind, including the implicit early relational experiences which in combination with our biological, and arguably spiritual, template, form the mind into the subjectivity that we experience as the self. But what if the very systems of thought which we utilise to inform our understanding of, and attempt to guide our encounter with, the unconscious, are themselves manifestations of a cultural unconscious, discourses which actually fabricate our very subjectivity as therapist and patient, thus constituting the very subjectivity which, by contrast, psychoanalysis and Jungian psychology, suggest is innate and a priori of discourse? This paper explores these complex tensions and how they may inform the construction of psychotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand. The paper concludes with an exploration of the possible clinical implications of these ideas, including consideration of some clinical vignettes.

Author Biographies

John O'Connor

John O’Connor is a registered psychotherapist, Jungian analyst and counsellor, and has worked in clinical practice for over 30 years. He has extensive clinical experience, particularly in working with patients with severe trauma histories, in providing group psychotherapy and clinical supervision, and in working cross culturally. He is a former Director of Youthline Counselling Service (Auckland) and the Human Development and Training Institute (HDT). He also formerly worked at Segar House (which is part of ADHB

Mental Health Services) and was a founding member of the therapeutic team at Segar which developed a residential treatment service (currently operating as a day programme) for patients with personality disorder diagnoses. He worked as a lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) within the Psychotherapy Discipline between 1999 and 2019, and was formerly Programme Leader of the Master of Psychotherapy (adult programme) at AUT. He is the current Chair of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP) Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) psychotherapy training pathway and is co-editor of Ata: Journal of Psychotherapy Aotearoa New Zealand. John currently conducts a private practice in Mangere Bridge. He is undertaking his PhD exploring the discourses underpinning the making possible of psychotherapy as a clinical practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Phone 021 899 261. Email: johnnygj@xtra.co.nz

David A. Nicholls, Auckland University of Technology

David A. Nicholls PhD, MA, GradDip, MPNZ, SFHEA. Dave Nicholls is a Professor of Critical Physiotherapy in the School of Clinical Sciences at AUT University in Auckland, New Zealand. He is a physiotherapist, lecturer, researcher and writer, with a passion for critical thinking in and around the physical therapies. David is the founder of the Critical Physiotherapy Network, an organisation that promotes the use of cultural studies, education, history, philosophy, sociology, and a range of other disciplines in the study of the profession’s past, present and future. He is also co-founder and chair of the International Physiotherapy History Association Executive,and founding Executive member of the Environmental Physiotherapy Association. David’s own research work focuses on the philosophy, sociology, and critical history of physiotherapy, and considers how physiotherapy might need to adapt to the changing economy of health care in the 21st century. He has published numerous peer- reviewed articles and book chapters, many as first author. His first book — The End of Physiotherapy (Routledge, 2017) — was the first book-length critical history of the profession. A second sole-authored book — Physiotherapy Otherwise — was published in early 2022 as a free pdf/eBook (available from https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/tuwhera-open-monographs/catalog/ book/8). He was co-editor on the first collection of critical physiotherapy writings — Manipulating Practices (Cappelen Damm, 2018) — and was the lead editor for the follow-up — Mobilising Knowledge (Routledge, 2020). He is also very active on social media, writing weekly on contemporary critical physiotherapy issues. In early 2023 he established a new site specialising in post-critical healthcare (paradoxa.substack.com). He has taught in physiotherapy programmes in the UK and New Zealand for over 30 years and has presented his work around the world.

Mark Thorpe, Auckland University of Technology

Mark Thorpe, PhD, is a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology and practices as a clinical psychologist at Psychotherapy at Apollo. He trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities and worked in private, governmental, and university settings in South Africa and Aotearoa New Zealand. Mark is Chair of Training for the New Zealand Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, and a member of the Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association of Australasia and the International Association of Relational Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. He has held the positions of Vice President of the South African Institute of Psychotherapy, Chairperson of the Cape Town Psychoanalytic Society, Psychology Professional Advisor for Pacific Health DHB, Committee Member of the NZ Institute of Counselling Psychology, and Head of Psychology at Auckland University of Technology. Contact details: mark.thorpe@aut.ac.nz .

Wiremu Woodard

Wiremu Woodard is an Indigenous therapist, father of four, activist, environmentalist, sometimes contemporary dancer and artist. Wiremu is committed to reducing health disparities for Māori and promoting social justice. He currently works in community practice at KERERU and is a founding member of Waka Oranga — a group of dynamic Indigenous Māori practitioners committed to emancipatory freedom. Wiremu is the co-editor of Ata. Contact details: kereru.psychotherapy@ gmail.com

“The unconscious is a shy beast: don’t pounce!”

The making of psychotherapy (and a psychotherapist) in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Author Biographies